The Canine Ledger

Training That Works, and Why: What the Evidence Says About Methods

What the studies show about reward-based and aversive training, collars, separation anxiety and children, and where the evidence runs out.

Written by thecanineledger

This page carries no advertising, and nothing on it is for sale.

1. Start where you are

If you are…Start here
Choosing how to train your dog§2: Methods
Thinking about an e-collar, prong or choke collar§3: Collars
Struggling with a dog that can’t be left alone§4: Separation anxiety
Living with a dog and young children§5: Children and bites
Looking for a trainer or behaviour specialist§6: Getting help
Wondering how this section works§7: How this section works

Dog training is full of strong opinions. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), a society of vets and researchers, puts its position plainly: “There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification” (AVSAB, Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, 2021).

While AVSAB accepts that “Many methods of changing behavior in dogs are effective”, it argues that what matters is “what does the least harm and produces the best long-term results.” This section sets out the studies behind that position, and is honest about their limits.

2. Methods

Reward-based training teaches a dog what to do and rewards it with food, toys or praise. Aversive training uses something unpleasant, such as a lead jerk, a shout or a shock, to stop unwanted behaviour.

The best study we found compared 92 dogs from reward-based and aversive training schools. Dogs from the aversive schools showed more stress during training, and were more “pessimistic” in a test outside training (Vieira de Castro et al., PLoS One 2020). The dogs weren’t randomly assigned, which limits what it can prove.

→ Reward-Based or Aversive Training: What the Studies Found

3. Collars

E-collars (shock collars), prong collars and choke chains are all aversive tools. In a trial of 63 dogs with poor recall, trainers using rewards did better than trainers using e-collars. The authors concluded that “there is no evidence to indicate that E-collar training is necessary, even for its most widely cited indication” (China et al., Front Vet Sci 2020).

The law differs from place to place. Wales banned shock collars on cats and dogs in 2010.

→ E-Collars, Prong and Choke Collars: The Evidence and the Law

4. Separation anxiety

A dog that destroys things, barks or howls only when left alone may have separation anxiety. A review of the research concluded that the most successful treatment “may be behavior modification that focuses on systematic desensitization and counterconditioning, which can be supplemented with medication in the initial stages” (Sargisson, Vet Med (Auckl) 2014).

→ Separation Anxiety: Training, Medication, and What the Trials Show

5. Children and bites

Most bites to young children come from a dog they know, often at home. A review of US studies found that children under 9 “suffer the greatest burden of injuries” (Patterson et al., World J Pediatr Surg 2022).

What’s less well known is how little evidence there is that bite-prevention lessons work. A Cochrane review found “no direct evidence that educational programmes can reduce dog bite rates in children and adolescents” (Duperrex et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009).

→ Dog Bites and Children: Who Gets Bitten, and What Prevention Can’t Yet Promise

6. Getting help

For anything more than everyday manners, such as aggression, fear or a dog that can’t be left, start with your vet. AVSAB says that more serious concerns “require a treatment plan that includes environmental management, behavior modification, and, in some cases, medication.”

AVSAB also says that a trainer who is struggling with a behaviour should “refer to a veterinarian, board-certified veterinary behaviorist, or certified applied animal behaviorist.”

Our note: A sudden change in behaviour, especially new aggression, can have a medical cause such as pain. Ask your vet first.

Our note: In many places, including the UK, anyone may be able to call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist. We haven’t confirmed this from a primary source.

7. How this section works

Every page in this section is our summary of the research, as we understand it. It is not reviewed by a vet or a trainer. We start from position statements by veterinary behaviour societies, then the best studies. Many training studies are small, and few randomly assign dogs to methods. We say so each time.

We don’t recommend training products, courses or apps, and we earn nothing from them.

8. What we could not verify

Commonly saidWhat we found
“Some dogs need a firm hand”No evidence it’s necessary, according to AVSAB’s review of the studies.
“E-collars work faster”Not in the one controlled trial we found. Reward-based trainers did better.
“Getting a second dog cures separation anxiety”Not supported. A review found another dog in the home doesn’t prevent it.
“Teaching children about dogs prevents bites”Not shown. No trial has measured bite rates.

Sources

Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.